A play for children, especially if it is their first time, cannot be simple enough. This can easily be underestimated and in your enthusiasm you may think that as a director you should immediately stage a favorite book or movie. The kids too can beg you to bring their favorite hero to the stage. But beware: don’t fall into that trap. Theater is more than running around with a flapping cape, more than making menacing screams and dangerously pulling your plastic saber.
Guaranteed success
Who is impatient and wants to be quick to score, like most children, it is best to stage a game on the basis of a simple story put together ad hoc, yes even without many rehearsals. A set is not necessary, you just play in actual existing spaces, in the city, at school or wherever the story can take place. With the help of not even too technical gadgets, you can record the play à la minute and on the spot with a VCR. And after a quick assembly and a flashy music below, you invite the children and their proud parents and grandparents to the film screening in the auditorium: success guaranteed! And the copied video tapes are flying over the counter like hot cakes.
Little time, lots of fun …
So it can, certainly, quickly and easily as you can see. However, the above idea is more for the end of the (school) year, if you little time have more, or just some time left, and want to do something light with the children, something they are guaranteed to do lots of fun will experience.
But if you really want to do children’s theater, you could sometimes have problems with children who do it quick success have tasted it. Then get them to rehearse a real piece. You will have your hands and head full.
Script
You don’t have to base your play on a complete book or a movie. Get started simple with a short story from a favorite series or a popular book. If you’re just starting out, you can also start with a few simple scenes that appeal to the imagination, which you paste together into one piece with a head and a tail. The latter is certainly the least time consuming for yourself, as you don’t have to write an elaborate script, and it gives the children a lot freedom, although they have to be able to handle it. Another advantage is that it prevents the children (have to) memorize a lot of text. Whatever you choose, much depends on what the children like, which method appeals to them the most. although you are there to (re) steer them.
Roll
If you are looking for a story to adapt for theater, then assume the number of children who will play the play. Adapt the script to the number of children; on how much regular players you can count on and how much loose players? The regular players will of course get the main roles and most of the text. By the way, there are always children who want to go on stage, preferably with as little text as possible. While others like it too much prominent be on stage.
Text
In the beginning, keep the lyrics short, you still have to get to know the children and how they function in the group, also in their role as actors. Make sure that all players get a text or sound, however small. This gives them handhold, an attitude on the scene. Also provide small roles that you can easily cancel, in the absence of enough players, or that can be played by a substitute; think of a pet, an alarm clock, a waving houseplant, a talking cockatoo.
Presenting or acting
A mistake that is easy to make acting to be confused with memorize a text and cancel. You act with your whole body. Unfortunately, it doesn’t help if you tell the kids it doesn’t matter what they say (exactly), but how they say it and what they do. No matter how often you tell them that they especially need the situation to understand and what they say why, children like to have something to hold on to and they look for it in memorizing the text.
Automatism
The problem, however, is that they often don’t realize how much time and effort it takes to really memorize that text well. On the other hand, they have a problem when they are on the scene black out and not being able to absorb this (even with the help of a prompt). And if a player forgets his text, the opponent also stands with his speechless, because it has become automatic to respond to what the other says.
Acting
Anyone who starts acting must learn that exaggerate part of the trade. As a starting actor it feels like you are in a state of imposition. Some kids have no problem with this at all, even thinking that acting is like drawing attention to you in all ways. Others are afraid that they look like a fool. Especially for them, they realize that there is a considerable gap between them and the audience, so that the spectators miss much of what is being said or played. First of all, it is therefore important that all players participate aim at the audienceeven if you are talking to your opponent standing next to you. Even if you play lying in bed or dying on stage, you still have to make sure that the audience can see you, your face, your mimicry, and you can hear that the sound, your text, is lost in space.
Exaggerate
Theater is different from film. In film, the cameraman / woman can zoom in on the player who is speaking, who must get all the attention at a certain moment, so that you can see that tear roll down his cheek. On stage you have to do something like this with big gestures, with a lot drama, to convey to the public. In a small, intimate space. Later, if you are an accomplished actor, you can move on to more natural play, to less exaggeration.
Children
Finally: Relying on a well-known series or movie can raise objections if children do not understand that you have made other choices when writing your script. This is easily solved by explaining that although you based your script or that book or movie, you have taken the liberty to bend the story to your will so that it is suitable for your theater club.